


Fear (or: How Yūri Became Rink Mom and Yuri Became Less Angry)

by J000liet



Category: Yuri!!! on Ice (Anime)
Genre: Coach Katsuki Yuuri, Friendship, M/M, No Angst, Thunderstorms, Yuri Plisetsky must be protected, Yuuri is team mom, its Viktor with a K
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-03-07
Updated: 2017-03-07
Packaged: 2018-09-30 16:43:47
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,587
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10167389
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/J000liet/pseuds/J000liet
Summary: When Yuri shows up at the Nikiforov/Katsuki apartment, he is certainly not afraid. Nope. No-siree. But there's something about Yūri Katsuki that makes the storm raging outside not matter so much.This is the story of how Yuri decided that Yūri was going to be the team mom. Or at least, something like that.Excerpt:Yūri looked at Viktor and smiled. “Since Viktor is leaving me all alone tonight, why don’t we go out and do something, like a movie?”“Sounds fun. But do you understand the Russian well enough?”“You can translate. And make it as badly as possible.” Yūri laughed.“Kay! Text me later.” Yuri smiled happily and skated off.“This is not the rink I left.” Viktor mumbled. “And I hate these dinner things that I do with Yakov, you know that Yūri.”“Yes. Because you hate leaving me alone. But I won’t be alone. So you don’t have to worry.”“But how did you soften him up so well?” Viktor continued on with his whining.“I’m not telling.”“Yūri, please? I can make your life hell…” Viktor tried again.“Do your worst because I am not telling you.”





	

If there was one thing that Yuri was not, it was afraid. That was  _ not _ the reason he was standing outside Viktor and Katsudon’s apartment in only his pajamas. It was  _ not _ the reason why his hand was shaking. It was  _ not _ because he was afraid.

“Yurio?” Katsudon opened the door after Yuri had rung the doorbell. “Viktor’s not here. He;’s in France doing a promotional shoot for one of the sponsors.”

“I---” Yuri shifted in place.  _ I am not afraid. _ He told himself over and over again.  _ That’s not why I’m here _ .

“Are you okay?” Katsudon reached out to touch him.

“I’m fine.” Yuri snapped out quickly, and then he heard it, the rumblings of thunder, and he froze.

“Come on in.” Katsudon stood aside. “You look cold.” Yuri shuffled into the apartment. “Go sit on the couch.” Katsudon said gently.  _ He pities me,  _ Yuri thought. “There are a bunch of blankets over there to help you warm up. And I finally persuaded Viktor to get something that we could fit on and was comfortable instead of that modern monstrosity he had before.” Katsudon smiled and let out a light laugh. “Do you want some tea? I was making a pot.”

“Sure.” Yuri grumbled. A few minutes later, Yuri was staring at a cup of tea, a medium sized pot sitting on the table in front of him. “Thanks.”

Katsudon sat next to him, legs crossed underneath his body, looking out the windows. “It’s supposed to storm tonight.” He commented. “That means it's a good night for tea.”

“Yeah.” Yuri mumbled.  _ He knows. He totally knows that I’m--no I am NOT scared. _   
Just then the rain started beating against the window and the room seemed to shake at the clap of thunder. If he were looking outside, he would have probably seen the park across the street as the lightning flashed across the sky. As quickly as the light vanished, Katsudon was removing the tea from his hands and wrapping them both in a blanket.

“I’m  not scared.” Yuri whispered to himself.

“Of course you aren’t.” Katsudon pulled him close. “My room has blackout curtains though. You won’t be able to sleep with all the lightning otherwise and I’m not letting you go home in this weather.”

“If- if you wanted company tonight, all you had to do was ask.” Yuri whispered, trying not to sound excited. Or grateful. Because he was neither of those things. At all. Because he  wasn’t scared. Nope. Not. At. All. 

“I would love the company.” Katsudon smiled. “But only if you want it too.” Yuri was silent. “Not wanting to be alone,” Katsudon added softly, “it doesn’t mean you’re weak. I just think it means that you’re human. The amount of company varies, but everyone needs someone. I know you have Otabek Altin and your grandfather, but if you need someone while you’re here training-” Thunder clapped again and Yuri jumped and let out an involuntary cry. Katsuki reached out and pulled him into his arms. “I’ll always be here for you, Yuri.” Katsuki pet Yuri’s hair and held his head gently, shushing into his ear and drowning out the sound of the rain.

It was at that moment Yuri realized that Katsuki never babied him. Never made him feel lesser. Never made him feel like he didn’t belong like most of the people at the rink had done at some point or another. Yes, he teased Yuri. But it was never out of malice, or superiority, or just because he could and get away with it. Katsuki did it because he cared.

“I’m scared.” Yuri whispered into the warmth of the body in front of him. “I’m scared, Yūri.”

“Okay.”

“I don’t like thunderstorms.” He said even softer, his voice starting to waver. 

“Okay.”

“I don’t want to be alone.”

“Okay.”

And Yuri cried. Because when he was around Yūri, it was okay. Around Yūri is was okay to be scared.

Yūri held him through the storm. He took him to the room with the blackout curtains and it helped a little, but the thunder still got to him every time. But no matter how much his body jumped, no matter how loudly he cried out at the sound of the thunder crashing above him, Yūri held on. He wrapped them both in a blanket and sang him songs in Japanese. Yūri had a pretty voice, Yuri decided. It was soft and smooth and gentle and most importantly, it was warm. Like Yūri himself, it was warm.

And then it was over and Yuri stopped crying, but Yūri didn’t let go. “Can you not tell Viktor?” He mumbled into Yūri’s neck.

“Of course I won’t. You know,” Yūri pulled away and whipped away some of the tears with the corner of the blanket, “if you want, you can give me the address of your apartment by the rink so that when it storms I can come over?”

Yuri nodded. “Maybe you could also come over for dinner sometimes?”

“You want me to?”

“It’s just…” Yuri sighed, “During the week when I’m here and I’m not with my grandpa things -- they get lonely. And I’m not a good cook so I end up eating a lot of plain pasta and frozen food and take out. I miss good food. And I miss being around someone who cares.”

“How about I come over to your place two or three days a week. Victor and Georgi go out on Tuesdays, so we could do then?”

“That sounds nice. And… could I come over here on Thursdays when Viktor has to do that thing with Yakov?”

“I would love that. When is your off day?”

“Sundays.”

“Me too. Viktor has solo practice then, so maybe we could spend the day together?”

“Okay.” Yuri nodded.

“And if you want something like a curry recipe or soup or something that makes a lot of food and is easy to reheat, I can give you some recipes and teach you how to make them.”

“That sounds like a good idea.”

* * *

 

When Viktor got back from the sponsorship shoot, the last thing he expected was for Yūri and Yurio to be friendly, let alone close. But when he and Yūri got to the rink the morning after he got back, Yūri went straight over to Yurio and the two began to stretch together. They exchanged pleasantries and Yurio was genuinely nice to Yūri. Yūri even chased after him when Mila picked him up and helped him down.

“Yakov?”

“Don’t ask me.” He grunted. “You left and the next day they came to the rink together. You were gone for four days and those two are already thick as thieves. Don’t forget we’re meeting tonight with a few others to discuss some things.”

“But-”

“No, Vitya. You said you were going to coach. In Russia that means going to these dinners. There are people who can help you and Yūri and Yuri there. If you want to be a coach, that means sometimes you have to put your personal life on hold.” Yakov snapped.

“Oi, Viktor!” Yuri called out.

“Yuuuri…” Yūri whined.

“Get your but on the ice. Your wasting Yūri’s coaching time.”

“Since when have you called each other ‘Yuri’?”

“I don’t answer to you, old man.”

“Yūri, I’m not old am I?”

“No, Vitya.” Yūri said softly. “You are not old.”

“And you to are still disgusting.” Yuri whined. “Come on, Katsudon. If Viktor isn’t gonna coach you, you can teach me how to land a quad flip.”

“But that’s  _ my _ jump.” Viktor whined. 

“If you land all your jumps today, I can try to teach you the flip. It’s only fair after you taught me the sal.” Yūri smiled.

“Cool!” Yuri grinned.

Yūri looked at Viktor and smiled. “Since  _ Viktor _ is  _ leaving _ me all  _ alone _ tonight, why don’t we go out and do something, like a movie?”

“Sounds fun. But do you understand the Russian well enough?”

“You can translate. And make it as badly as possible.” Yūri laughed.

“Kay! Text me later.” Yuri smiled happily and skated off.

“This is not the rink I left.” Viktor mumbled. “And I hate these dinner things that I do with Yakov, you know that Yūri.”

“Yes. Because you hate leaving me alone. But I won’t be alone. So you don’t have to worry.”

“But how did you soften him up so well?” Viktor continued on with his whining.

“I’m not telling.” 

“Yūri, please? I can make your life hell…” Viktor tried again.

“Do your worst because I am not telling you.”

* * *

 

It took him two months, but Viktor finally gave in. He didn’t need to know why Yurio and Yūri were such good friends. They both seemed happy and doing well and that was all that mattered. So Viktor dropped it. And Yūri followed the to the European Championships to cheer them on.

It was at Euros when Yuri started snapping at everyone and Otabek couldn’t calm him down. He usually could, but everything he tried just made Yuri snappier. 

“Yuri,” Yūri snapped angrily and Yuri stopped his angry monologue. Yūri sighed and pulled the boy into a hug. Everyone watched as Yūri whispered things into Yuri’s head and pull away.

“Yakov, may I coach Yuri today?” Yūri gave a bow.

“What!?”

“Please, Yakov?” Yuri whispered, looking small behind Yūri, eyes downcast and dull. 

“Alright, Yuri.” Yakov sighed. “But don’t make me regret this.

Yuri nodded.

“Yuri, let’s go.” Yūri smiled.

“Yes, coach!” Yuri straightened and followed Yūri to a different area to begin stretching.

“He looked…” Viktor thought of the word, “When you said Yūri could coach him, he looked _chipper_.”

Otabek was silent.

_**~Y!!!OI~** _

Yuri thrived at Euros. Not only that, he dominated. He beat Viktor by more than a point. And when he came off the podium he went straight to Yūri’s arms.

“You did amazing, Yura.” Yūri whispered.

“I landed the flip.”

“You landed the flip. Just like I knew you would.”

“Yuri,” Otabek stood there awkwardly.

“Otabek, did you see my programs?”

“I couldn’t take my eyes off them.”

“This isn’t the place for this conversation, Yura. Go. I’ll help keep reporters away for a little while."

He was looking for Vitya, when the next thing he knew, Yakov was beside him. “I don’t how how you did it.” He sighed. “Maybe I’m just too old. I didn’t want him to do the flip. I think that’s what made-”

“It wasn’t that.” Yūri smiled. “Yuri was just having a hard time. This is his first Euros after his gold medal. It was the pressure. He doesn’t know, I haven't told him, but he was showing the beginnings of a panic attack.” 

“I was thinking,” Yakov sighed, “I could oversee the training for all three of you, but that you could coach Yuri.”

“What?” Yūri was shocked.

“He likes you. And you understand him. You and Vitya, your generation should be coaching him. I’m too old. I don’t understand the Instagram, or know how to Facebook, or even what Twitter is. But you do. You understand him. Part of being a good coach is know what’s best for your students, even if that’s not being their coach. Another part is trust. Without trust, there can be no coaching. Yuri doesn’t trust me. And I see you want to say that he does. And that might be true. But he trusts you more.”

“Its ultimately, Yuri’s decision.” Yūri told him. “And if I am his coach, I’m not doing the dinners.”

“I’ve told Vitya and I’ll tell you-”

“In Russia it’s the way things are done. But I’m not Russian. And that’s not the way that I’m going to do things with Yuri. If Yuri wants me to coach him then I will, but I’ll do it my way.”

Yakov laughed. “Okay. You bring it up to him though. He fights everything I say.” 

Yūri laughed and waved as Yakov headed off to talk to the reporters.

“Yūriiiii!” Viktor threw his arms around him. “Your student beat meeee!”

“Congratulations on your silver medal, Viktor.” Yūri laughed it off.

“It clashes with my hair.” Viktor pouted.

“Then next time you have to try harder.” Yūri teased.

“I’m wounded! I could never possibly recover.” Viktor sighed dramatically. “What do you mean next time?”

Yūri smiled and waved at Yuri who was coming out of the locker room, slightly pink and holding Otabek’s hand. Yuri waved back and started pulling Otabek with him until they were all around Yūri. “Congratulations on your bronze medal, Otabek.” Yūri said kindly.

“Yūriiiiii. What do you mean by ‘next time I have to try harder’?”

“If Yuri wants, Yakov said he would support me being your coach full time and just overseeing things when needed.” Yūri blushed.

“Really?” Yuri shone.

“Yeah.”

“YES!” Yuri jumped onto Yūri, giving him a tight hug.

“Yūriiiiii,” Viktor kept whining, “be my coach toooooo!”

“Talk to Yakov and then we’ll see.” Yūri laughed. “Things went well, I take it?” Yūri asked, growing serious all of a sudden and put Yuri down.

“Yeah.” Yuri blushed and looked back at Otabek. “Things went really well.”

* * *

 

Yūri went on to be Yuri’s coach. It had been a year and now he understood why Viktor was so tired all the time. And Otabek was moving to Russia too, to work under Yakov, which made Yuri happy. But of course, the world was never that easy and Yuri got ill on the day that Otabek was landing in Russia, which was why Yūri was at the airport waiting.

“Otabek.” Yūri waved when he saw the young man.

“Hello, Yūri.”

“Yuri is sick so I’m here to pick you up. Let’s go, I need to make sure he’s staying hydrated.” Yūri tried to take the duffle bag Otabek was holding.

“I can carry it.” He said firmly.

“Is this all?”

“The rest of it I shipped yesterday. It’ll be here in a few days.”

“Okay.” Yūri smiled and the two went out to the car. They made it halfway to Yuri’s apartment when Yūri finally spoke. “Listen, Otabek…” he sighed. “Yuri will murder me if you tell him I said this, but it needs to be said. Yuri is like a little brother to me. I care about him quite a lot. And I don’t know if he’s said it to you yet, but he loves you. So if you hurt him, I will cut you into tiny pieces and boil you in a hot pot, do you understand.” Yūri stared at the Kazakh man as they got to a red light. “You hurt him, you die. Understand.”

“I won’t lie to you, I can’t promise that.” Otabek looked sad. “Yuri and I clash sometimes and sometimes I don’t know how to help him. So sometimes I feel like I hurt him. But I never mean to. And I never want to.”

“You’re honest.” Yūri smiled. “I know relationships are hard.  _ Believe _ me, I know relationships are hard. But as long as you try to make it work, as long as you put in the effort to make things right at the end of the day, regardless of if it’s your fault or not, things between us will be okay.” He sighed. “I’ve told Yuri the same thing, minus the death part.”

“I can see why Yuri likes you. You and your coaching style.”

“Thinking of switching coaches already, Altin?” Yūri laughed.

“Maybe asking for help every once and awhile, Katsuki.” Otabek replied dryly.

“Well, I’m here if you need me.”

“If you don’t mind me asking, how did you and Yuri become so close?”

“I told him the truth.” Yūri smiled.

“And what is that truth?”

“It’s okay.” Yūri smiled. “It’s okay to need people. It’s okay to not want to be alone. It’s okay to be afraid. And he could come to me whenever he wants.”

“A thunderstorm.” Otabek understood.

Yūri nodded. “It’s true for you too.”

“What is?”

“You can need people.” Yūri said softly. “You don’t have to be alone. You can be afraid. You can come to me whenever. Yuri and I eat together three days a week, to make sure he eats healthy food. Let me know things you like and you can join us.”

“Those are for you and Yuri, I wouldn’t want to intrude.”

“Come to the one’s on Sunday. I convinced Yakov it would be good for the entire rink to have the same night off. We have team dinners. I cook. You don’t have to come every week. Mila comes once a month. Georgie just pops in sometimes. Feel free to do the same. Let me know what you like to eat.”

“How can you go from the shovel talk to offering me dinner in the span of a single conversation?” Otabek laughed dryly.

“I have to be good at flipping to keep up with Yuri. That and I have been designated the Rink Mom. I’ve given the shovel talk to two of Mila’s partners, made them both run away, then made her brownies. I gave the shovel talk to Georgi’s new girlfriend and she stayed, so I made them dinner as an apology.” Yūri sighed.

"Do I get a dinner as an apology?"

"Sure. I'll make whatever you want." Yūri laughed.

“You know it goes both ways. If you need someone that isn’t your fiancé, you can talk to me.” Otabek told him.

“Can you keep a secret?”

“Yes.”

“From Yuri?”

Otabek frowned. "Maybe."

"It's about Yakov."

"Sure." Otabek nodded.

“I’ve been mediating between Yakov and Lilia. They’ve talked about maybe going back to living together.”

“That’s impressive.” Otabek finally looked surprised at something.

“No one knows yet. But it’s been tough keeping it in.”

“How long have you kept the secret?”

“Almost since I got here. I was the only unbiased person around.”

“That’s a long time.”

Yūri nodded. “We’re here. Let me check on Yuri then I’ll leave you two alone.” They walked into the apartment to see Yuri trying to reach a mug from a cupboard. “What are you doing out of bed?”

“I wanted tea.” Yuri said hoarsely.

“Let me make some. Get back into bed and go to sleep.” Yūri commanded softly.

“Okay…” Yuri sighed and leaned into the hug Otabek had pulled him into. “Hi, Beka.”

“Let’s get you back in bed.” Otabek picked Yuri up princess-style.

“You’re warm…” Yuri nuzzled into Beka’s neck.

A cup of green tea with lemon and honey had Yuri feeling even more sleepy and when he was asleep, Othabek detangled himself from Yuri's arms.

“You really are a team mom.” Otabek laughed as he walked in to see Yūri tidying up.

“I only do this for Yuri.” Yūri laughed. “Thank you, Otabek.”

“For what.”

“Caring.” Yūri smiled. “As his coach and his friend, I know so much about Yuri. But nothing that I do can compare to the way he feels when you love him.”

“I’m not so sure.”

“But I am.” Yūri sighed. “Get some sleep. I’ll tell Yakov you’re starting the day after tomorrow. We can arrange our schedules so that he isn’t alone. He should be better in a day or two. There’s miso soup in the fridge and some curry if you want something hardier.”

“Thank you.”

“My number is on the side of the fridge along with the wifi password. There’s a channel guide for the television in the side table of the couch, and if you hear a scratching that’s just Duchess.”

“Duchess?”

“The stray cat Yuri feeds.”

“Ah.”

“There are cans of catfood in the cardboard box by the window.”

“Yūri, I can handle it.”

“I just want to make sure you’re settled.”

“I will be. Go home. Take a nap. Drink some tea yourself.”

Yūri took a deep breath. “Okay. See you soon.”

“Bye.”

Otabek went back into Yuri’s room and sat next to the blonde.

“Beka?” Yuri moaned.

“Yes, Yuri?”

“Yūri was right.” He twisted and snuggled into Otabek’s chest.

“What was Yūri right about?”

“It’s okay.”

Otabek smiled, knowing what Yuri was talking about. “What’s okay?” He asked, just to humor him and not wanting to break Yuri’s trust in his friend.

“Everything.” Yuri sighed. “I love you.”

“I love you too, Tiger.”

“And if you ever try to come between me and Yūri, I will dump your ass.” Yuri growled sleepily. “He’s like a big brother to me.

“I promise, Tiger.” Otabek kissed the top of Yuri’s head. “Go to sleep and get better.”

“Kay.” Yuri snuggled closer.

* * *

 

_ Things are good _ , Yuri sighed as he looked on at the wedding party happening. Viktor was retired now so he could focus solely on coaching and he and Yūri were working well together. Yūri was talking about retirement too, but it was less certain.

“Yuri…” Yūri snuck up besides him.

“You should be dancing and being generally gross with your husband.” Yuri sighed.

“I’m not going to leave you.” Yūri smiled.

“I know.” Yuri smiled back.

“I know what you did at the Grand Prix.” Yūri said, facing out into the crowd.

“What I did?”

“Thank you.” Yūri smiled down.

“You deserved gold, Yūri. Viktor was an idiot for saying he’d only marry you if you got gold at the Final.”

“Your routine was supposed to be harder than mine.”

“Sorry coach,” Yuri smiled, “I just didn’t feel comfortable enough to raise my arms for all my jumps.”

“It’s okay, Yuri.”

“Yeah.” Yuri smiled. “It’s always okay.”


End file.
